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GOLDEN AFTERNOON FIX
It was a pivotal scene in Neighbours last week. As Andrew
Robinson revealed to Tash that he didn't love her, and he
sent Facebook messages to the third member of the love triangle,
Summer, the soundtrack was provided by Sydney singer-songwriter
Caitlin Harnett. "Watch us breaking, folding beneath the
fire," Caitlin sang, "a battle between what we have and
what we desire." Before Now is the achingly beautiful opening
cut on Caitlin's second EP, All In The Golden Afternoon.
You wonder how one so young - Caitlin has just said goodbye
to her teenage years - can write something so melancholic
and poetic. "I love you is just another thing we said to
make it right," Caitlin sings, "You tell me this is dying,
well, I've been dying for too long now."
Howzat! compared the cute pop of Caitlin's debut EP, Tiny
Spark, to Lisa Loeb, but there is something altogether deeper
about her new EP, exquisitely produced by Matt Fell. Many
artists are doing the fey pop thing, but few are doing it
with as much depth and poetic insight. And there is something
beautifully organic about Caitlin's career. She's not rushing
into releasing an album; the EP is self-distributed (via
caitlinharnett.com) and, with the support of Mushroom Publishing,
she's taking her music to the world. Caitlin didn't get
to see the Neighbours episode because she's in New Zealand,
doing 18 shows in 18 days. Caitlin Harnett is going to be
a star, it's just a matter of when.
A POPBOOM CHRISTMAS
Scotty "Pop" Thurling is a lover of Australian pop. And
he's had a huge 2010 running Popboomerang Records. "The
toughest thing about running a label is simply staying financially
afloat," Scotty tells Howzat! The label has had 11 releases
this year, including albums from Georgia Fields, The Bon
Scotts, Young Werther and Underminers. Two of those albums
will make it on to Howzat!'s year-end "best of" list, so
what's been Scotty Pop's favourite Aussie album of 2010?
"The album I played most (non Popboomerang) was by Matt
Purcell & The Blessed Curse. Great jangle crunchy pop from
Sydney that evokes memories of the classic Orange Humble
Band debut. The new Cordrazine album was also pretty amazing."
And what about Scotty's personal music highlight of 2010?
"It has not really occurred yet, but the news that the Hummingbirds
are playing a reformation show in January 2011 stands out.
The Punters Club reunion with Frente and the Hollowmen was
also a highlight." Popboomerang is celebrating its big year
with a Christmas gig at the Cornish Arms on Friday, with
live appearances from Underminers, D. Rogers, Georgia Fields,
The Bon Scotts, Greg Williams and more. A gold coin donation
will get you in.
BLOOD, SWEAT & BEERS
Murray Engleheart might be Australia's premier rock journalist.
Fresh from his AC/DC biography, Murray has documented the
rise of Australian pub rock, focusing on Billy Thorpe, Rose
Tattoo, X and The Angels. Blood, Sweat & Beers ($35, HarperCollins)
is a tale tinged with tragedy, considering how many Tatts
and X members are no longer with us. Fortunately, Murray
was working on the book for a long time, so he has interviews
with all the key players. The highlight is his chat with
Ian Rilen and Mick Cocks - it's laugh-out-loud funny and
revealing. Mick reflects on his drunken "kiss" with Angry
Anderson, which saw the Tatts banned by Countdown for three
years: "I had to go to my sister's school and actually have
a little yak and say, 'Look, we're just grown men and it's
theatre and don't give my sister a hard time about this
and I'm not a poofter.' I had politicians ringing my mother.
It was a fucking huge thing!" Howzat! loved Countdown, but
the late-great Lobby Loyde savages the show: "The death
of music was Countdown. All they ever talked to you about
was how it looked, what colour shirts you were going to
wear, and was your makeup right … We just thought it was
fucking definite Satan land. Everybody that I knew pathologically
hated that show. Yet today they talk about it like it was
the birth of rock 'n' roll. It was a shit show and everybody
knows it … it was the beginning of the fucking end." Neil
Rogers will interview Murray Engleheart on RRR's The Australian
Mood on Thursday, December 30 at 8pm.
CHART WATCH
Drapht moves from 37 to 33 with his first Top 40 hit.
Who's That Girl GUY SEBASTIAN (number three)
Saturday Night JESSICA MAUBOY (14)
Somewhere In The World ALTIYAN CHILDS (25)
Plans BIRDS OF TOKYO (26)
Planets SHORT STACK (27)
Rapunzel DRAPHT (33)
Freefallin' ZOE BADWI (35)
Just one Aussie album in the Top 10 at the business-end
of the year.
Twenty Ten GUY SEBASTIAN (number nine)
Celebrating 50 Glorious Years HAMISH & ANDY (11)
Down The Way ANGUS & JULIA STONE (17)
He Will Have His Way VARIOUS (19)
Get Closer KEITH URBAN (21)
Vegas Songs From Sin City HUMAN NATURE (22)
The Great Tenor Songbook MARK VINCENT (24)
Jack JOHN FARNHAM (25)
This Is Bat Country SHORT STACK (26)
Birds Of Tokyo BIRDS OF TOKYO (33)
I Believe You Liar WASHINGTON (36)
Get 'Em Girls JESSICA MAUBOY (38)
Merry Christmas KATE CEBERANO (40)
HOWZAT! PLAYLIST
Before Now CAITLIN HARNETT
Everything You Need NICK BATTERHAM
Nothing Guy UNDERMINERS
Rapunzel DRAPHT
Seven Years GEORGIA FIELDS
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